Three ceasefire violations after flag meet, says Lt Gen Parnaik
16 Jan 2013 6:11 AM IST
India on Tuesday accused Pakistan of three ceasefire violations after a flag meeting of top military commanders between the two countries yesterday to douse tension but said it will ‘not act in haste or anger’.
‘Even after the brigadier-level flag meeting, there were three ceasefire violations. They fired from small fire arms and also mortar shells,’ General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C), Northern Command, Lt Gen K T Parnaik told reporters here. The fresh incidents were reported in Mendhar, Balnoi and Uri. ‘We have not responded to these because they were not effective,’ he said, adding, ‘We are closely watching the developments’ and that the Army has a ‘lot of options’.
‘We do not believe in reacting in haste and anger. We have our plans. We will react in time,’ he said.
He said at the flag meeting, the Pakistani side was in ‘denial mode’. ‘Pakistan remained adamant, arrogant and not ready to accept anything. We told them we will continue to respect ceasefire but not if we are provoked,’ he said.
Responding to questions, he, however, said a war-like situation does not exist. ‘It is not good for Pakistan and we also don’t desire it,’ he said.
On the January eight killing and decapitating of an Indian soldier by Pakistani Army regulars in Poonch sector, Parnaik termed it as an act of ‘grave provocation’.
‘We accused them of carrying out the barbaric attack, we insisted that the head (of Lance Naik Hemraj) be returned. We drew their attention to the frequent firing in the area,’ he said. During Monday’s meeting, he said the Indian side vehemently protested the beheading of the Indian soldier and also showed photographs of landmines placed by Pakistani troops on forward areas inside Indian territory.
Parnaik said the Pakistani Brigadier, who was identified as Faizal, read out from a prepared text and denied everything. ‘The text which he read out was a total denial (of India’s charges). It was rigid,’ he said.
The Pakistan officer had refused to take cognisance of a file presented by India on the mines planted between pickets by Pakistani intruders. ‘You can keep it, I don’t want this,’ he told the Indian team, Parnaik said. He said there were over 2,500 terrorists in 43 training camps besides 450 terrorists on launching pads waiting to cross into India.
‘There are 43 terrorists training camps active (in POK). As per our estimates, there are 2,500 or more terrorists staying in these camps,’ he said. New Delhi suspects the hand of Pakistan’s ISI in funding and training these terrorists.
‘Some of the launching pads are being monitored by us,’ he said. He was speaking at an investiture ceremony at Akhnoor, 40 km west of Jammu.
‘Even after the brigadier-level flag meeting, there were three ceasefire violations. They fired from small fire arms and also mortar shells,’ General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C), Northern Command, Lt Gen K T Parnaik told reporters here. The fresh incidents were reported in Mendhar, Balnoi and Uri. ‘We have not responded to these because they were not effective,’ he said, adding, ‘We are closely watching the developments’ and that the Army has a ‘lot of options’.
‘We do not believe in reacting in haste and anger. We have our plans. We will react in time,’ he said.
He said at the flag meeting, the Pakistani side was in ‘denial mode’. ‘Pakistan remained adamant, arrogant and not ready to accept anything. We told them we will continue to respect ceasefire but not if we are provoked,’ he said.
Responding to questions, he, however, said a war-like situation does not exist. ‘It is not good for Pakistan and we also don’t desire it,’ he said.
On the January eight killing and decapitating of an Indian soldier by Pakistani Army regulars in Poonch sector, Parnaik termed it as an act of ‘grave provocation’.
‘We accused them of carrying out the barbaric attack, we insisted that the head (of Lance Naik Hemraj) be returned. We drew their attention to the frequent firing in the area,’ he said. During Monday’s meeting, he said the Indian side vehemently protested the beheading of the Indian soldier and also showed photographs of landmines placed by Pakistani troops on forward areas inside Indian territory.
Parnaik said the Pakistani Brigadier, who was identified as Faizal, read out from a prepared text and denied everything. ‘The text which he read out was a total denial (of India’s charges). It was rigid,’ he said.
The Pakistan officer had refused to take cognisance of a file presented by India on the mines planted between pickets by Pakistani intruders. ‘You can keep it, I don’t want this,’ he told the Indian team, Parnaik said. He said there were over 2,500 terrorists in 43 training camps besides 450 terrorists on launching pads waiting to cross into India.
‘There are 43 terrorists training camps active (in POK). As per our estimates, there are 2,500 or more terrorists staying in these camps,’ he said. New Delhi suspects the hand of Pakistan’s ISI in funding and training these terrorists.
‘Some of the launching pads are being monitored by us,’ he said. He was speaking at an investiture ceremony at Akhnoor, 40 km west of Jammu.
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